13 January 2025 – War Study University
The Council of the Student Government of the Faculty of Law and Administration was involved in the organisation of the event.
The topic of the conference was related to the research area of the CEA’s research group Child welfare and modern technologies.The conference was attended by academic teachers, doctoral students and students.
Smarttrech 3D also took patronage of the conference.
The main topic of the conference was child safety online as a key issue in the age of digitalisation, where young users are increasingly using the web for educational, entertainment and social purposes.
Along with the benefits of the Internet, there are also numerous threats that can affect the well-being of children.
The conference consisted of three panel discussions.
The first one was dedicated to children’s rights on the Internet.
The first speech concerned sharenting and the protection of children’s rights.
Sharing your and your children’s private life on social media is the social norm and for many parents it has become an everyday ritual. Increasingly, it takes the form of sharenting, which poses a threat to the autonomy and privacy of minor children. So far, most research on children’s privacy in the world of technology has focused on the danger posed by third parties, ignoring the dangers posed by parents themselves (the relationship between sharenting and the exercise of parental authority). Regulating this issue is one of the challenges for the law in the era of social media.
The second presentation addressed the issue of a child’s sexual intimacy online.
In the age of digitalisation, the Internet has become a tool that can be used for both positive and negative purposes. One of the major problems is the use of the Internet for child sexual abuse – both online and offline – which can affect children’s sexual development, moral attitudes and sexual behaviour. All of this poses a challenge for both law enforcement agencies and society. International cooperation and the development of public policies are key to effectively countering online child sexual abuse. There can be no consent to a world in which children are exposed to such harm.
The third presentation presented Polish legal regulations on the protection of children in cyberspace in comparison to other European countries.
Poland, like other European countries, implements these principles by adapting national regulations to EU guidelines. International cooperation and the adaptation of best practices are crucial for the effective protection of children in cyberspace. The protection of children in cyberspace in Europe, including Poland, is based on a combination of education, self-regulation, technology and legal responsibility. Joint action at European and national level is essential to ensure the effective protection of the youngest Internet users.
The last speaker in this panel addressed the issue of the online image of children and the associated risks in terms of data protection.
The online image of children is a controversial and worrying issue, especially in terms of data protection and the risks associated with sharing personal data. Children are particularly vulnerable to various forms of online abuse, which requires appropriate legal regulations and protective measures.
Sharing a child’s image on social media violates their right to privacy and self-determination. The GDPR 2016 provides limited protection against the processing of photographs and biometric data for the purpose of identifying a person.
Children also have the right to be forgotten, i.e. to have their data removed from the web, which is one of the mechanisms for protecting their privacy.
Protecting children’s image and personal data on the internet requires an integrated approach that combines legal regulations, education and public awareness. It is crucial to provide children with a safe online environment that protects them from abuse and allows them to control their personal data. In conclusion, the protection of children on the Internet requires an integrated approach, combining the actions of parents, educators and politicians, to effectively minimise risk and promote safe use of the web.
The second panel of the conference was dedicated to education in the digital age. The speakers considered how to develop children’s online skills.
The first of these speeches emphasised that digitalisation and 3D technologies play a key role in inspiring young creators to transfer reality to virtual space. Thanks to advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), creators can produce more immersive and interactive digital artworks, which fosters the development of digital art and inspires further experimentation.
Research shows that the use of three-dimensional inspirational stimuli in VR increases the semantic perception, design behaviour and emotional responses of creators, leading to more innovative and feasible designs. VR and 3D technologies, on the other hand, enable the creation of multidimensional visual spaces that offer unique aesthetic experiences and promote innovation in digital art.
The second presentation emphasised that preparing children for using the Internet requires an integrated approach that combines education, an active role of parents and appropriate parenting strategies. The key is to develop children’s digital competences to ensure their safety on the web and to make parents aware of the risks and opportunities that the Internet brings.
After the coffee break, the third panel of the conference began, entitled: Challenges and threats on the Internet – what do we need to know?
The first speech in this part of the conference discussed the challenges and threats on the Internet. It is not difficult to see that in the digital age, technological developments have brought both benefits and new threats to digital security. These challenges include a variety of cyber threats such as malware, phishing attacks, ransomware and insider threats. In particular, the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud technologies introduces additional security and privacy challenges. Digital security in an age of uncertainty requires an understanding of these threats and how to counter them. It is crucial to use multi-layered security strategies and cross-sector cooperation to protect data and systems from ever-evolving threats.
The second presentation was about Deepfake (a technology for manipulating images and sound – a threat to the truth).
Deepfake technology, based on advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, makes it possible to create realistic but fake images, videos and sounds. This technology poses a serious threat to truth, as it can be used to manipulate information, which has far-reaching consequences for society, politics and national security. It is crucial to understand and develop effective detection methods and to introduce appropriate legal and educational regulations to minimise its negative effects.
The third presentation focused on the dangers to minors of false information on the internet.
Minors are exposed to false information on the internet, which can lead to destructive behaviour. There is a need to increase awareness and information verification skills among young people and to introduce effective legal and educational protection measures.
The last presentation during the conference concerned online demoralisation (legal and social consequences of content promoting violence against animals).
Violence against animals, including the publication of such activities online, is a crime in Poland and can lead to severe consequences for the perpetrators. Sharing material depicting animal abuse (e.g. videos, photos) can be treated as promoting violence. Such actions can be considered as complicity in a crime or as a separate violation of the law if they aim to promote cruelty to animals. Therefore, these actions are not only punishable but also socially stigmatised, which emphasises the importance of protecting animal rights and animal welfare.
The Animal Welfare Act of 21 August 1997 regulates the protection of animals against violence. Article 6 of the Act prohibits the infliction of pain or suffering on animals and the promotion of such acts. Article 35 of this law provides for penalties for animal abuse, including imprisonment for up to 3 years, and in cases of particular cruelty, from 3 months to 5 years.
Cases of animal abuse can be reported to the police, municipal police or animal rights organisations. It is also possible to report such incidents anonymously.
In conclusion:
The responsibility for child safety lies with both parents and digital market regulators. Parents should be actively involved in educating their children about cyber security, and institutions should provide adequate regulations to protect young users. Keeping children safe online is an ongoing process that requires cooperation between families, schools and technology organisations. With the right tools and education, the risks associated with using the internet can be minimised effectively. The law protecting children from online dangers and its effective enforcement is also extremely important.
The conference lasted almost 4 hours, longer than planned.
Numerous questions and a lively discussion resulted in the decision that this would be a series of conferences devoted to child safety on the Internet, which should be considered
a success.
We also posted about the event on the Facebook page of the Faculty of Law and Administration.
Since the event took place at a military university, there were certain restrictions (regarding recording the event, displaying logos, etc.). The academy is a departmental university – subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense.
